1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods and apparatus for recording and monitoring operational data from multiple appliances.
2. Description of the Related Art
Household appliances typically comprise one or more components responsible for the electromechanical operations of the appliance. For example, an oven can include an appliance management component having a printed circuit board (PCB) with memory, as well as a user-interface component, such as a control panel or keypad, for a user to issue commands to the oven. As another example, a washing machine can include an appliance management component, a user-interface component, and a motor control component that controls a motor of the washing machine.
Typically, discrete circuits couple the internal components of an appliance, with each discrete circuit responsible for individual communication between related components. The circuits communicate with each other over an internal network that traditionally is implemented by hard-wired ribbon cables or other connectors or harnesses between the components. The hard-wired connectors form a closed system or network that is difficult or not possible to modify. For example, because the closed network relies on hard-coded or hard-wired network solutions, it is not practical to couple additional external components or additional internal components to the appliance to expand the capability or function of the appliance. The closed network cannot easily be adapted for communication with the additional external/internal components and therefore limits the potential of the appliance.